Extreme G3
Written by: Kuragari no Sensei
Finally, the first ExtremeG3 faq for Gamecube. This faq is mainly tips on
which weapons to buy, as the tracks themselves would take several hundreds
rounds to map, and I'm not quite that obsessed.
As we all know, I must give copyrights where they belong. ExtremeG3 belongs
to Acclaim (or someone, I know Acclaim distributed it). So all names and
acclomations or whatever belong to them.
Version History
Vers. 1.0 - The faq. Probably the last version, unless I decide to amend
it with some extra tidbits of info.
1. Weapons
First of all, I've made an unofficial discovery that the computer starts
using weapons once you buy your first one. As I said, this is unofficial, I
just know that they all started dropping micro mines after I bought my
heat-seekers. If anyone wants to confirm this, feel free to do so, I'll
give you mucho credits here.
Just as a tip, when you have the money, *always* buy better engines. Even
if you move only slightly faster than everyone else, you'll have that much
of an advantage. You can only buy three engines per G class, though, so
eventually you'll have money for weapons, and that's where this review
comes in.
Cannon - This is your default weapon. You have to hold the weapon button
down a split-second before it starts firing. This can be used to drain an
opponent's shields on a straightaway, but in turns, it'll often miss. Since
you can't buy or sell it, you'll always have it, so use at your own
discretion.
Rockets (Cost: 13000) - An almost-perfect weapon, should be your first.
Shoots straight, does good damage, and can actually destroy enemy bikes if
you time your shots right. The only downside is it does shoot straight, so
you have to have good aim to hit someone.
Rear Blasters (Cost: 14000) - Shoots a stream of flames behind you, it's
supposed to damage tail-riding enemies and provide you with a slight boost
of speed. I never found it very useful, even as a slight turbo boost, as
most enemies don't get close enough to you for it to be effective.
Heat Seekers (Cost: 31000) - Fire and forget. That's the best way to
describe these babies. Unfortunately you can't fire them right away, first
you have to get a lock-on. This is achieved by keeping yourself mostly
centered behind the enemy, then once you have a lock-on, you have to stay
centered to keep it. These are weaker than the regular rockets, but they
can still blow up an enemy if you have enough weapon power. Considering the
cost, they could be better. Use at your own discretion, or if you like
homing missiles.
Destabilizers (Cost: 29000) - Remember the big purple wave in the previous
XGs? It's been reduced to a simple lightning show that centers around your
bike. You have to keep the button pressed for it to continue working,
otherwise it takes a split-second to recharge. Not a good buy for career
mode, might be useful in multiplayer.
Leech (Cost: 20000) - This weapon would be better if it weren't for the fact
that you can't drive straight all the time. The Leech works by shooting a
small pod in a straight line in front of you that moves as you move until it
locks onto a bike. Once it does, it drains their energy and replenishes
your shield energy. Like I said, this would be better if you didn't have to
go around turns, because the connection is broken if the leechee drives away
or breaks away from the leech.
Micro Mines (Cost: 15000) - The weapon of choice for cheap-ass computers.
This weapon drops several blue bouncing mines onto the track that, if hit,
will damage your bike and slow you down immensely. This weapon is useful
when someone is coming up behind you, either in career mode or in
multiplayer. Just don't drop hundreds of mines and hope somebody hits them,
as they do disappear after a period of time. Buy it only if you think you
can utilize its abilities, otherwise it's a waste of cash.
E.M.P. (Cost: 18000) - This creates a giant blue EMP cloud that disables the
weapons of everyone in the immediate area for a short time. Considering how
fast this wears off, it's useless in career mode.
Flash Mortar (Cost: 19000) - Do not buy this in career mode, as it is
useless. You'd be using it on computers, not living people who have to see.
This weapon creates a small dust cloud once released, then completely
distorts your screen for several seconds. As I said, it's only useful in
multiplayer, when you don't have to deal with computers who know the tracks
by heart.
Rear Turret (Cost: 21750) - A better version of the Rear Blasters, this one
will actually do some damage, but not much. Micro Mines would be a better
weapon for someone sucking your tailpipe. Buy and use at your own
discretion.
Railgun (Cost: 36500) - Yes, a railgun. Yes, it's powerful. Yes, it drains
your weapon energy like a mother. If you use the infinite ammo code, this
is the perfect weapon. You can fire rapid shots by holding the Y button
down for half a second, then releasing. Alternatively, you can charge the
railgun (and use up more energy) and shoot a more powerful shot. I've
killed eight bikes in one race with this baby, so I highly recommend it. Be
warned, though, it shoots in a straight line, so always, *always* make sure
you have a good shot before you fire, otherwise you'll waste precious
energy.
Ammo Bank (Cost: 20700) - Not really a weapon, this increases your weapon
energy limit. Buy it only after you buy another weapon, as it's not too
useful when you only have your cannon.
Weapon Scoop (Cost: 29400) - Another powerup, this increases the amount of
energy you get from the purple energy strips. Once again, only buy it once
you have weapons that will sufficiently drain your energy reserves.
Shield Scoop (Cost: 30400) - Like the weapon scoop, this gives you more
shield energy from the green strips. I have to confess, I didn't notice too
much of a difference, but then again, by the time I bought this, I was in
the 750G class and was speeding past the strips. I recommend it, especially
in combination with the next item.
Shield Boost (Cost: 30400) - Obviously this increases your total shield
energy. Buy it as soon as possible. More shields means more turbos, which
means more speed, better rankings, and more money. Buy it. Buy it now.
2. Tracks
Let's be honest, you're moving too fast to be reading a guide on the various
tracks anyhow. But, just so I have something to put in this section, I'll
give some hints for the uninitiated. Learn the tracks, fast. Things may
seem fast (or slow) in the 250G class, but once you get up to 500G and 750G,
you'll hit the wall on almost every turn if you don't know the courses.
Also, when going up a hill, hold the control stick back to get better traction
(and better speed) and when doing down a hill, hold the stick forward. I've
hit Mach 1 when going down a hill in the 500G class using that little trick.
3. Cheats
All these codes can either be entered at the blue title screen, or at the
screen that shows your current stats (biker's name, what cups you've won,
what weapons you have, your bankroll, etc.) Remember that these codes only
work for ONE RACE, so after you finish a league race or whatnot, hit B to
go back to the stats screen and enter the code again.
Double prize Money - L,R,Z,L,R,Z,L+R
Extreme Lap challenge - L,R, L,R L,R, Z, L+R
Infinite Shields/Turbo - Press L+R, Z, L+R, Z for Infinite Shields.
Repeat to turn the code off.
Unlimited Ammunition - Press L, R, L, R, L+R, Z
Unlock all Tracks/Teams - At the start screen enter L,L,R,R,Z,Z,L+R+Z
Unlock Team Starcom - Complete XG Career mode all the way to the end.
Win current race - L+R+Z, L+R, Z, L+R+Z. You'll win the race even if you lose or
blow up.
4. Credits
Thanks to the code section at gamefaqs.com for generously letting me 'borrow'
the cheat codes. Everything else I wrote on my own. Really.
Also, thanks to Acclaim for making a terrific game, and thanks to Nintendo
for having a faster DVD drive than the PS2 (fast load times kick ass!)
Good luck, and good racing!
Kuragari no Sensei